This month marks the 565th birthday of Leonardo da Vinci – inventor, artist, mathematician, and writer, among many other achievements. What’s remarkable about old Leo is that most of what he knew was self-taught. Making him one of history’s most famous autodidacts. And he’s not alone.
Thomas Edison, Charles Dickens, Bill Gates and Richard Branson are just a few more illustrious names of accomplished autodidacts in their respective fields. And then there’s Siyabulela Xuza, the South African self-taught sensation and science prodigy who made headlines a few years ago for his homemade science project turned legitimate invention… and he even had a planet named after him!
He built a record-breaking rocket, but it was his invention of a cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient rocket fuel that won him a pile of awards at the National Science Expo and the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, as well as a ticket to the Nobel prize ceremony in Stockholm and an audience with the King and Queen of Sweden.
How in the world did a teenager become a modern day Da Vinci just while tinkering around at home? The simple answer is a raw passion for learning. This is something all parents looking to raise (or keep up with) successful young autodidacts will want to instil and nurture in their children. How? We’re going to show you, using Siya’s story as a map.
Make sure they get enough “unplugged” time
I was chasing the roar of a Cessna plane dropping election pamphlets over Mthatha, my South African township. It was 1994, the first year of a new democracy in my country and the sight of that technological marvel ignited in me a curiosity for science and a passion for using technology to engineer an African renaissance.” – Siyabulela Xuza
Would Siya have been playing outside where he could catch a glance of the plane that inspired it all if he had been watching TV or playing on an iPad? Probably not. The internet is bursting with things waiting to be discovered, and learning to navigate technology is undoubtedly vital for the next generation of learners. But sometimes children need a break from a backlit screen and a chance to just be kids. That’s when they’re inspired to ask questions, seek answers and learn more about the things that excite them. So, make a point of drawing the line when it comes to their use of devices and encourage them to build a fort or go bike riding every now and then.
Don’t just answer questions, ask them
“It’s time for bed.”
“Why?”
“Because children need sleep.”
“Why?”
“Because… I said so!”
Every child goes through the that phase. The one where their every response is a particularly annoying three letter word, and the biggest mistake parents make is answering them when it only prompts another lazy “why?”. Instead, try asking them what they think the reason is. Sure, they may get out of going to sleep for another ten minutes, but they’ll also be inspired to do the digging for their answers on their own, and digging always leads to more questions and more adventures searching for the answers. Give them the gift of discovering things for themselves… even if it almost sets the kitchen on fire, like Siya admits his early rocket fuel trials did.
Accept that you can’t do it all alone
While we’d all like to be a super mom or dad, never faltering in our support and attentiveness of our children, we all have other responsibilities, whether it’s errands to run or bills to pay. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this: resources.
Surround your child with things that promote learning, so they’re always there when there’s a need. They’re bored, but you have a presentation to put together for Monday’s early boardroom meeting? Hand them a book… or a toolbox to build a rocket! They need help with their homework, but you were never an ace at science? Find a fun online course that can help. It doesn’t have to cost the earth; Top Dog’s personalised adaptive online learning costs as little as R60 a month – we know it’s shameless self-promotion, but it’s also true.
Self-taught doesn’t mean skipping school
Pursuing the path of an autodidact should not replace school, but supplement it. Although there are many people that managed to find success without the benefit of a formal education, most of them would have liked one if they had the choice. Siya is grateful that he was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship to St John’s College, and arguably the most famous school of all time, Harvard.
“I may not be able to predict what the future holds,” he says, “but I am excited at how my engineering education will enable me to achieve my aspirations for Africa.”
Inspire your children to learn more and they may not only enrich their lives, but their country and the world around them, just as Siya has.
